The Grammy nomination of a song derived from a Saturday Night Live sketch is an insult to hip hop music and artist but to the Grammy organization itself. This year’s Grammy Nominees in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration are Ego Beyoncé & Kanye West Knock You Down Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo Run This Town Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, Dead And Gone T.I. & Justin Timberlake and finally I’m On A Boat The Lonely Island & T-Pain.

I’m On A Boat? Are they serious? Could Grammy officials really not come up with another collaboration to nominate. How about Wale featuring Lady Gaga, 50 featuring Ne-Yo, Gucci Mane and Usher? How strange where an artist such as K’Naan drops a critically acclaimed and politically relevant album but receives no nomination. Whose on the rap music nomination committee at the Grammy’s? The nomination of a fake song is an insult to the other artist in the category. SNL cast member Andy Samberg of The Lonely Island, told Time Magazine that they were surprised at the nomination primarily because well they do not consider themselves musicians. Given this nomination why wasn’t Nathalie Portman nominated for her rap solo performance on Saturday Night Live a few years back. She was robbed.

The lack of respect for rap music by the Grammy awards continue to persists. Only two rap albums have ever won album of the year, OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Lauren Hill’s The Mis-education of Lauren Hill. Perhaps Kanye West is right. His albums have been some of the best music of any genre over the last decade and he has never won album of the year. Hip hop classics which often appear on lists of greatest albums ever made, such as The Chronic by Dr. Dre, Wu Tang’s Enter The Wu-Tang, Tupac’s All Eyez on Me, Public Enemy’s Takes A Nation of Millions, never received industry recognition.